Alan Boyle over at MSNBC has an article up with info that the X-prize folks are planning an announcement for July 27th that he thinks will start the 60-day countdown. In the article he mentions that Burt Rutan and Brian Feeney (da Vinci Project leader) will both be present.

I DEFINITELY think SS1 is it. In fact, I wonder if the way the announcement was made wasn't just to keep us on our toes. I find this quote interesting:

“representatives from major teams including Burt Rutan from the American Scaled Composites team and Brian Feeney from the Canadian da Vinci Project team will be present”.

Now, it doesn't say those are the only two teams being represented. It only says that representatives from major teams including these two teams. I'm not normally a conspiracy type person, but my guess is that they just felt like they had to mention someone else besides Rutan to keep everyone from jumping to the (correct?) conclusions. In other words, I'm thinking that the announcement will simply be Tier One's 60 day countdown. I mean, is da Vinci even CLOSE to setting up their first flight?

well, brian feeney did say something about a july 21 press announcement involving them. da vinci, and brian feeney specifically, seem to be just the right kind of crazy to trust their engineering and fly without very thorough testing.

well, brian feeney did say something about a july 21 press announcement involving them. da vinci, and brian feeney specifically, seem to be just the right kind of crazy to trust their engineering and fly without very thorough testing.

I read that Brian said that their system's flight profile (ballistic) is well-known so might as well go for it in their first launch.

But I don't know if they had tested the balloon of theirs.

Still, it would make for a exciting race to the finish for the X-Prize. Well funded professionals versus underdog volunteers!

One possibility. Perhaps the X Prize board will arrange a final race-to-the-finish-line challenge for both Scaled and Da Vinci. Both 60 day countdowns start that day and whichever team turns around the fastest for its second flight wins. They, of course, can do as many tests as they please and can fund in the interim, so Da Vinci might try it if they were willing to take the risk that their test on August 4th will be a success. Now that would be something interesting to see.

_________________"Yes, that series of words I just said made perfect sense!"
-Professor Hubert Farnsworth